Kalistan

[jamescfm]

Published on behalf of Kalistan for C
Kalistan Launches Push For Security Council Seat
Big three Kalistani parties come together in Kaliburg to begin the Kalistan for C campaign
Kaliburg, Ananto, Kalistan
January 18 4012


Mica Bennots-Gates, SPoK Ambassador, is expected to be a significant figure throughout Kalistan for C

The Conservative Independence Party, Labour Party (Libertarian-Labour Alliance) and Socialist Party of Kalistan united as one last night in order to launch the Kalistan for C campaign to get Kalistan elected to Seat C on the Security Council in several years time. All three parties have appointed an ambassador who will work together to liaise with other nations in order to secure as many votes as possible. Kalistan for C is already off to an impressive start, with the nation already having received six votes and more waiting to pass. The initial launch event featured speeches from the aforementioned Ambassadors in addition to the Premier, Foreign Affairs Minister and other significant figures within the three major parties.

Tony Curti, Foreign Affairs Minister, said that Kalistan had 'an excellent opportunity to fight for a peaceful future for our world' whilst Mica Bennots-Gates, the Socialist Party Ambassador, claimed that Kalistan for C 'showed the capacity of our parties to work together for the benefit of our country and wider Terra'. Politicians from all walks of life have taken the opportunity to put their differences aside and work in cooperation. As the election draws closer, the Ambassador's will embark on a series of trips across the globe to speak with everybody from international diplomats and business innovators to charity leaders and trade union executives and ensure that Kalistan safeguards and represents as many people as possible if it is elected.

Additionally, Kalistan for C announced that it would be supporting nations in the other seats being contested: Kirlawa for Seat A, Jelbania for Seat B and Hutori for Seat D. Libertarian-Labour Alliance Ambassador Oscar Machado made a statement explaining that it was 'crucial that nations which have a clear history of democracy and peace were supported wherever possible'. In exchange, it is hoped, these nations will support Kalistan for Seat C. As the event drew to a close, there was a clear positive buzz around the building that a new, better future was in store for a new century!

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GanJam looks for Sponsors
SP reports that deficit due to unforeseen last minute expenses threatening show
Luxon Ananto
February 17, 4103


Al-Khali attempts to hold GanJam together after a series of hits puts show under financial strain

This year's GanJam is in trouble. SP Leader Omar Al-Khali, who again serves on the GanJam organizing committee and represents major festival sponsors in the SP is making an appeal to additional sources of capital in Kalistan.

"Everything was all ready to go- we had everything lined up," Al-Khali said. "But then there was a breech of contract settlement we had to make with one band who informed us that they intended to play religious music at the festival, and then one of our Lumber suppliers did not come through, so we had to contract another to get the venue built, and then, with the problems in paying fees for some of the bands, which I got to admit, seem higher this year than they have been in the past, we broke the budget several months ago. The Party has been kicking in several thousand rubles to keep the project afloat, but for the long run, this is not sustainable. We gotta come upon a new source of funds just to meet our bills or this year's festival is not going to go off..."

Most of the typical sources of finance for the show have been tapped out, and this will be the last year the GanJam will feature multiple stages. But commitments have already been made, and a cancellation of the show will actually cost more money in settlement of contracts which haven't been fulfilled than it would be to just run the show, even at a loss, Al-Khali said. "What we need is just enough to get us to the date, and then we need to hope for a decent turnout. This year has been pretty hard... But we'll get it sorted."

The annual GanJam this year is still scheduled for early November in Luxon, Ananto, assuming the pre-show financial commitments are met.

[jamescfm]

The People's Press
Historic Divisions Re-emerge As Support for Berg Plumits
Former Premier faces a fight to keep her job following a series of damaging events
Kaliburg, Ananto
June 26th, 4103


General Secretary Berg has experienced an unexpected tumble in support

General Secretary of the Labour Party Ana Berg is under pressure to quit following a number of unpopular decisions in recent months. Despite leading the party to several record-breaking National Assembly results, Berg has long been a divisive figure in the Labour movement and if Labour is still the third party after the next election (expected to happen next January) then she will likely have no choice but to resign.

The first drop in Berg's popularity came after she announced that the Labour Party would be deregistering the People's Army, leaving the party without a militia. Although it was a move which had been rumoured for years, the ultimate execution was enough to compel some members to leave the party while many who remained still felt it was the wrong call. Combined with the temporary rebranding of the party to include former Libertarian Democrats, Berg's approval ratings were the lowest they had ever been at this point. The passing of the New Kalistan Act and subsequent support of a Socialist cabinet has done nothing to help the situation.

At the most recent meeting of the Party Congress, in January, the motion of confidence in Mrs Berg returned a 37% vote against and saw the removal of some of her most prominent supporters from the Central Committee, making it extremely difficult for her to command the respect of the party's most senior body. Even some of Berg's former allies have called her decision-making into question, the party's Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Tony Curti was overheard stating that the decision to abandon the SP had 'been a mistake which led the other side to government'.

If she was feeling the pressure, Mrs Berg showed no signs of it, however. As she rose in the National Assembly to support the Socialist cabinet bill, she was far from supporting in her words. Mrs Berg claimed that;

The Socialist Party has repeatedly treated the people of Kalistan like characters in their own little computer game, to be manipulated and experimented on at will. It is now time for them to put up or shut up and demonstrate that they have the capacity to form a functioning government. I will no longer tolerate their hyperbole, tomfoolery and politic nonsense.

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Al-Khali takes a final shift at the Helm
Longtime Leader and Premier Pledges "Caretaker" Government
Declares Intention to retire following Next Election
Kaliburg, Ananto
September 12, 4103


Omar Al-Khali, Leader of the SPoK and Premier of the Republic Announces Retirement

The longtime Leader of the Socialist Party of Kalistan, Omar Al-Khali announced his retirement from Office last week. This announcement came on the heels of Al-Khali welcoming funding from the Labour Party's Lucca Curti Foundation, which ensured that GanJam will go off this year, the return of one Party Government, if not a single Party Assembly, and the general resignation of CIP Deputies. Upon retirement, Al-Khali will have served as Party leader for 24 years, serving another 3 as a Deputy prior to winning the nomination. When he took office, there were five viable Parties, all jockeying for position in National Government, and the SP struggled to separate itself from the general pack of left-voting Parties.

Al-Khali's years in office straddled the near-war with Baltusia as well as the establishment of a seeming permanent peace with that country. He also oversaw the dissolution of the SP-Labour Bloc which dominated Republican Policy, and time in the Opposition. And yet, Al-Khali never wavered from the SP's traditional positions, even though he oversaw a temporary rebranding of the Party to demonstrate that Kalistani voters vote on legislative records, not stated ideologies. Al-Khali was preeminently a nationalist and an institutionalist, and while initially unpopular with the electorate, the SP gained seats in every election of his time in office except his first election and the slight setback in the election of 4092, immediately following the settlement of the Baltusian crisis.

Al-Khali finishes his career on a high note. Due to the disappearance of the Conservatives, the SP now holds the majority in the Assembly for the first time since the beginning of the era of multi-Party government in 4056. He enters office for a short 4 month caretaker government which will last until the next election, which sources declare will happen according to the normal schedule at the beginning of the 4104, rather than the offset end of current term in November of next year. Under the leadership of the Labour-Led "Kalistan for C" campaign, SP Ambassador Mica Bennots-Gates is raising her national profile, and it looks like Kalistan is sitting well to obtain the Selayan seat in the Security Council. And thanks to joint cooperation between sources of private capital, including a generous contribution from the Labour Party's Tony Curti, the Premier's pet project, the Annual GanJam will go off this year in the black. Al-Khali's tenure is already being picked apart by historians, and his legacy will be one of maintaining some relevance while leading the Party through the peripheries of Kalistani Politics.

As for plans for retirement, Al-Khali notes that he would like to rest. "I may go visit the Brethren in Telamon for a while and get clear, but I plan on drawing my last Breath in Kalistan." He will remain active with the music community in Kalistan, with whom he has developed a close relationship over the last twenty years. He also plans to live on the cannabis plantation that he purchased last year in the Dah Delta in Ananto and "... perfect my own strain."

After the Premier announced his retirement, the SP immediately set some rather rusty gears in motion to begin to select a successor. Former President of the Republic Michal Jones-Terrance immediately took himself out of the running, declaring "It is time for some new blood in this office." Jones denied he was planning to retire, but said it is unlikely that he will run for office again. An early favorite for Party leadership is longtime SP activist and Professor of Sociology at Neveras Poly University, Frieda Carrangus.

[Doc]

Annual GanJam Draws largest crowd ever
Smaller Venue, Lineup leads to intensified Interest
November 17, 4103
Luxon, Ananto


Show Closers Dianne Blasse and the Shockers played for nearly 2 hours to close out one of the most successful GanJams in the History of the Festival

Earlier in the year, it was reported that the annual GanJam, the venerable cultural and music fest typically held in Ananto during the fall of each year was in financial trouble. One of the primary sponsors of the event, the SP made a call for financial assistance for the struggling festival, and the Labour Party stepped up and contributed enough money to ensure that the Festival would be in the black ahead of gate sales. Some other changes were instituted, such as dropping to a single stage this year, creating a small venue space, and money saving measures by instituting a bottleneck on food vendor licenses. Combined with the influx of capital, the festival is on solid footing for the next 5 years, promoters declared. The finances of the show were then helped by record ticket sales- This year, more than 145,000 tickets were sold, and as expcted the festival was packed.


Co-Headliners on Night 4, Olde Cypress Hill, blast thumping alt-hip hop before a record crowd

Headlining the Festival this year were show closers Dianne Blasse and the Shockers, a hard rock act from Neveras. Blasse and her band performed two back to back sets, and not less than three encores, rocking late into the night. Blasse is currently on tour throughout Kalistan and Northern Selaya, and was reportedly "thrilled" to play the Jam.


The Originals Headlined Night 2 in front of an incredibly elaborate set designed to look like a Late Night Comedy Sketch show

Other acts included night headliners Selector, who is the leading dancehall artist in Kalistan at the moment, Two Tone sextet The Originals, who performed their massive hit "Ruddy's In Jail" at the end of their set, and South Coast Alternative Hip Hop Trio Olde Cypress Hill. Leader of the threesome, Bob Riel said this to reporters, "You know we grew up on the Jam. When we were little, and just starting out, it was our dream... hell, it's everyone's dream, to Headline one of the nights at the Jam. And we made it! F--- YEAH!" Riel then lit a spliff and ran off into the crowd, presumably to enjoy the rest of the show with the crowd he had just performed in front of.


Dancehall Reigning Queen, Selector, toasts the Crowd on Night 2

L Night was headlined by the experimental band Louisie Sue and Dave, a two piece, (accompanied by a session guitarist). LSD, as they are known by their fans, have played the Jam for 7 successive years and are well known for their complex light shows, their whirling and stratospheric synthosizers, and their ethereal vocals. When asked how such sounds are produced with just three instruments, a drum pad and Louisie Sue's vocals, Sue answered quite simply, "It's psilocybin actually..." When asked to clarify what she meant, she answered, "Psilcybin, not acid. The Hooligans from deep space brought us the technology that allows us to pull the carbon from the air and use it to generate our powerplants. You gotta trust me- we even put their schematics in our liner notes, but only those with awaked minds will be able to read them. They are really that important. Can you believe that we are breathing power and energy? 666, man. We can save the planet by this way. And we can eat Gold that has no mass and floats... It's all there man." She then handed this reporter a CD and proceeded to explain the exact construction of a coil necessary to separate carbon from Carbon dioxide in the air, "create more air" and then burn the carbon the same way one would burn coal. The only biproduct would be water vapor. Clearly, Louisie Sue was already under the influence of something before she took the stage and gave her brilliant, but weird performance to thousands of her fans.


Louisie Sue and her partner Dave, always a fan favorite and a regular fixture on "L Night" finally gains the Headline spot and never disappoints

The GanJam, now solvent for the mid term, will likely be heavily attended next year as promoters attempt to re-create the magic.

[jamescfm]

Labour Party Congress Meets To Appoint New Central Committee
Tony Curti is overwhelming favourite to follow in his father's footsteps and lead the party following Ana Berg's resignation
Secret Location, Near Mt. Old Dirty Bastard
January 10, 4104


The Labour Party Congress meets at a location high in the mountains of Ananto

The Labour Party has begun the process of electing a new leader following the resignation of Ana Berg earlier in the week. Ballot papers will be sent to all party members by the end of the week and a verdict is expected on the final day of the month. Early signs suggest this will be a much less wounding contest than in the past, with only one or two candidates expected to stand due to the new requirement that a leadership contender be a member of the Party Congress. Presently, Tony Curti is the immense favourite to be elected to the role, which is formally known as General Secretary of the Labour Party Central Committee, just as his father was nearly fifty years ago.

There are other contenders, though. Maggie Lancaster, Internal Affairs Spokesperson, has confirmed that she will run for the leadership and former Deputy Serhat Aslan is also said to be considering his options. Neither command the same respect or support as Curti, who has evidently inherited his father's ability to empathise with the public. Polling suggests party members generally support a move away from the controversial nature of Ana Berg's rule and supporting reconciliation with the Socialist Party is a must for any candidate. In this respect, Lancaster perhaps has a slight advantage over her competitors because she was a Socialist Member of the Vrassa District Assembly for eight years before defecting to Labour in 4097. She was even reported to have said that she 'supported unifying the two parties on principle, we are fighting for the same cause after all'.

Away from internal matters, the Socialist Party have said they will allow the President to compose the next cabinet, which will likely be a Labour-Socialist coalition to ensure stability and cooperation for the benefit of the Security Council Seat campaign. Tony Curti, as the acting leader of the Labour Party in the National Assembly, spoke fondly of Omar Al-Khali as he concluded his time as Socialist Party Speaker. With the Unionists and Libertarians being followed out of politics by the Conservatives, many will wonder what Kalistani politics will be like without a Rightist party in the Assembly, some might even wonder what the purpose of two parties so similar is...

[Doc]

IZQUIERDA- The Voice of the Kalistani Left
Premier Carrangus calls for abandonment of the NSTOC
Cites non-support for Lodamun National Interests as reason for withdrawal
Addisjah, Vrassa
August 17, 4104


Premier Carrangus speaks out about "national interests" and urges withdraw from "one-sided" NSTOC Treaty

New Premier of the Republic Frieda Carrangus has moved legislation to withdraw from the Lodamun-dominated North Selaya Train Operating Company. In a short statement, she noted that a conflict of interest between Kalistani interests and Lodamun existed in the Treaty. Premier Carrangus spoke in Addisjah at the Kalistani-Lodamun border checkpoint.

"We have noted that the Foreign Minister has stated that few countries look out for Lodamun's national interests. While Kalistan would take issue with this, especially since we have dumped billions upon billions of rubles into their one-sided train scheme with almost no discernible benefit to Kalistan, and they happen to be the only nation in North Selaya who have inexplicably rejected the Northern Selayan Economic Community Treaty, we nonetheless lament Lodamun's position. It's all good. Lodamun seems to be doing fine and will likely continue to do so without Kalistan's participation in their operation, just as we are doing well without their input in the NSEC."

Treaty withdrawal is expected to pass within 9 months. On the day of passage, Carrangus plans to return to the border check point and personally remove the two rails which connect the two countries from the ground. The publicity stunt will merely put an exclamation point on the break in relations, which the Premier ties directly to the recent statements of the Lodamun foreign minister. "Perhaps we will consider rejoining if Lodamun decides that we have mutual interests which require both of us to look after."

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Carrangus responds to Lodamun
"They have their opinion, we have the facts."
Kaliburg Ananto
December 4, 4104


Premier Carrangus discusses Withdrawal from the Lodamun's NSTOC

Premier Carrangus issued a brief comment about a recent article which appears in Lodamun's paper, News from Lodamun.

"And then we read in Lodamun's paper that Kalistan is overestimating its importance in the NSTOC. The Minister pointed out that we represented less than 5% of the operating company capital. Well- they have their opinion, but we have the facts. Obviously, the Minister missed the fact that our passage of the treaty included an ongoing, yearly commitment to the Train operating company from our national surplus of 20 billion rubles a year. Unless other countries have similarly contributed at the same level as Kalistan, which is entirely possible, then the drafts we have been sending to Lodamun have been either misappropriated or ignored entirely. But someone cashed those checks. So it may be incumbent upon us to ask Lodamun to audit its train operating company, if it maintains that despite the initial purchase of stock representing 21% of the company's capital at the outset and then for eighty years plus of annual contributions, we represent a mere pittance of the company's interest.

"The Minister puts this action on spite: As if apparently Lodamun is so important to us that we should deliberately work against our own economic interests just to stick it to them. Framing our withdrawal from their treaty in these terms is pretty typical of Kalistan-Lodamun relations, and is totally expected. But no matter: Our concern returns once more to the question of fiduciary responsibility. When the treaty was passed, our contribution represented the acquisition of the second greatest percentage of the shares of the company. It was our explicit goal to be among the largest players in the Train Operating Company. And since we have not seen an annual accounting of the shares sold or additional investment from the board, we think that this is the least to ask the Minister.

"At the end of the day, we are writing off those losses- they are at this point unrecoverable, and furthermore, since we have seen no public financial accounting or even any attempt by other countries save one to buy into the company after Kalistan, we have to assume that any additional investment in the NSTOC would be a complete waste of money. Especially since we have an alternative vehicle to invest in Northern Selayan development known as the the North Selayan Economic Community, which Lodamun, for all of its claims of being interested in development of Selaya, conveniently has opted to not join. We will happily write off our losses to the TOC, and be done with it.

"We wish Lodamun would adopt a less hostile attitude toward its neighbors, and perhaps at some point in the future we will have the opportunity to discuss the regularly belligerent position it takes toward Kalistan at seemingly random intervals. But now is not the time. I look forward to, and will personally relish my role in disconnecting Lodamun's rail network from Kalistan's."

The Premier of the Republic did not take questions following her statements.

[Doc]

Premier Carrangus answers Lodamun
Acknowledges Lodamun's admission of bribery and corruption at the heart of the NSTOC
Kaliburg, Ananto
January 2, 4105


Premier Carrangus discusses the Kalistan-Lodamun dustup

On Sunday, there was a rally for the Ambassadors of the Kalistan for C campaign in Ananto. The event was covered by radio and television networks throughout Kalistan. But we sent reporter KRTVN-4's Heidi Jones to find Premier Carrangus, who was in attendance, and ask her some questions about recent statements from Lodamun in the ongoing tiff over the withdrawal from the NSTOC. Here is what Jones found out:

H(eidi) J(ones): Thank you for speaking with us today. I understand you are quite busy.

F(rieda) C(arrangus): It's no problem. Today we are here to encourage our Ambassadors as they get ready to depart on the next leg of their campaign. We want them to go off knowing they have the full support of Kalistan, and in fact, much of the world behind them.

HJ: The questions I want to ask you today are about Lodamun.

FC: Oh... here we go... Alright then, ask away.

HJ: Alright, the Lodamun Press accuses Kalistan of "bullying" Lodamun, a statement which seems to reflect the words of the Lodamese Foreign Minister and the Minister of Industry and Trade.

FC: Excuse me- it is rather hilarious to think that we are bullying the 'great' and 'might' Lodamun. I suppose we should be acquiescent to their overlordship of Northern Selaya and work for their interests, as their friends in Baltusia do. It is true that Kalistan's currency is expressed as a fraction of the Lodamese Dollar: It is commonly accepted that the Lodamun Dollar is the strongest currency and has traditionally been used as the unit of measurement for international economic comparisons. It is also pretty widely accepted that Lodamun is more highly economically developed than Kalistan is. So I must assume that this is a fairly terrible attempt at comedy on the part of the Lodamese. But let me say- the difference between being funny and being vicious is the difference between punching up and punching down. I am guessing the Ministers do not know that difference, if they suggest that we are bullying them.

HJ: It would appear that the Trade Minister from Lodamun has suggested that Kalistan is guilty of bribery, and that more than 1.6 trillion rubles in payments over eight decades were made to some "powerless officials at the NTSOC." According to the Minister, your Government is upset that it is not getting anything for those bribes. How do you respond?

FC: Well, that's a fairly sweet bribe. 1.6 trillion rubles over 80 years! Think of the social welfare in Lodamun we paid for. If this is indeed the case and we have paid lowlevel bureaucrats 1.6 trillion rubles over four generations, then we have done far more to directly underwrite the prosperity of Lodamese society than any such institution as the Train Operating Company. If it was bribes, how has 1.6 TRILLION rubles slipped silently into the Lodamese economy without the Government knowing it? Seeing it? How has the Lodamese Economy stayed afloat this entire time if we were adding 1.6 trillion rubles to the Lodamese Economy? Have they realized double digit inflation? Because that would be the effect of financial intervention on this level, if indeed it is the case that we are funding the informal economy in Lodamun.

But the Minister is betting that the readers are stupid. If indeed Kalistan's payments were actually received, then the charges of the Minister are outrageous. And if it was a bribe, this shows an 80 year long history of corruption which NSTOC leadership MUST have known about. It's gone on for eighty years! EIGHTY YEARS! How many administrations have come and gone in that time? We have had generations in Kalistan pass in that period of time. If indeed we were paying bribes and getting away with it this whole time, then the whole organization is corrupt to the core.

But the word Bribe did not come from me. The words of the Minister were: 'It is likely that Kalistan bribed powerless officials from the NSTOC, and is upset that they weren't able to return any solid favours in exchange for the bribes.' So the acknowledgement of even the probability of bribes, going on over 80 years is just completely astounding.

HJ: Do you have a response for the Minister with regard to the discussions between then Minister Fertig and FM Bhatacharia?

FC: I have nothing to add. The Republic covered the events fairly extensively (here and here) at the turn of the last century. I think the Foreign Minister accurately reflected Kalistan's position in the whole thing, so I have nothing to add. As for now, I thought we had been getting on fairly well with Lodamun, but I suppose not. Anyhow- we have bigger fish to fry. The Treaty Withdrawal appears to be on its way through the Assembly, and Lodamun appears to have never had any intention to vote for us for Seat C. So that is pretty much it- I can't imagine what more there is to say about them. We hope they get their financials straight, before other countries discover anything odd in the operations of the TOC. If there was deep corruption as a result of Kalistan's contributions, you can bet there are people siphoning off money from other accounts as well.

HJ: Finally, with this disagreement affect Kalistani trade into Lodamun?

FC: No, not at all. Kalistan still exports all of its national products to any buyers, whether the country supports fair trade or not. We notice that Lodamun is generally supportive of Kalistan's drug policies. And we are perfectly happy to continue to import the supply to meet the Lodamese people's demands, whatever the position of the Government of Lodamun.

HJ: Thank you Comrade Premier.

FC: My pleasure, Comrade.

[jamescfm]

'Things Are Getting Better' Says Lancaster
Labour leader draws attention to the changes the Labour-Socialist government have instituted
Kaliburg, Ananto
Feburary 14, 4105


Maggie Lancaster, the General Secretary of the Labour Party, speaks out on domestic issues

The Labour Party leader, Maggie Lancaster, has spoken out about the improvements that her party and the Socialist Party have brought in during their short time in government together. In a short interview with regional newspaper The Kaliburg Times, she sought to garner attention to the sweeping changes that the two parties have pushed through the National Assembly since the Conservatives dramatically disappeared. In the light hearted conversation, Mrs Lancaster explained how she was enjoying the rebuilt relationship between the left-wing parties after several years of fractious exchanges in the Assembly and the press. When she was queried on whether the Labour Party would consider endorsing a Socialist candidate for President, she replied 'I would have to evaluate the individual in question but that is certainly on the table'.

Mrs Lancaster also spoke about her election as General Secretary this time last year, saying 'I believe I was the candidate who presented the most hope-filled and positive outlooks about the Kalistan of this century'. Her term to date has been marked by a reversal in the trend of declining party membership, with the number of members now higher than at any time during the last decade of the 4000's. A fortnight ago, the Party Congress appointed another ex-Socialist Party member to the Central Committee in the form of new Food and Agriculture Spokesperson Harvey Bennots taking the total to four, including Lancaster. The Congress also approved a motion which would allow Labour members to simultaneously hold Socialist Party membership, subject to the approval of that party.

When combined, all of these developments have triggered speculation about Lancaster's ultimate plan for the party with some even suggesting she favours unification of the Left. Presently, this would probably not be a universally popular decision in either party with the sour taste of division still in the mouths of many members. In the future, however, it could be a reasonable proposal. Even Luca Curti, during the 4070's, claimed he 'sometimes wonder[ed] whether it would be easier if we just had a single Leftist party'. Whether there is any truth to the hearsay can only be decided by time but anybody who thought the fall of the Right would lead to politics in Kalistan becoming tedious is evidently mistaken.